Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (1)

MyRecipes Member

Rating: 5 stars

11/19/2022

My go to every Thanksgiving. Make 2 days ahead for best flavor. Follow exactly, it’s foolproof!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2)

kitschywhiz

Rating: 5 stars

01/10/2014

Delicious! It came out very very tangy the first time which I surprisingly didn't mind but I'm making it right now and I don't have orange juice on hand so I substituted mango juice. I used about 2/6's cup of sugar instead (so a third less), upped the honey, and it's coming out more sweet and less tangy! Do your own thing with it, it's a delicious basic recipe!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (3)

ashleyt1987

Rating: 5 stars

12/09/2013

Best cranberry sauce ever. I used Simply Orange instead of squeezing my own oranges. Much better than white sugar, water, and cranberries!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (4)

CZMZeds

Rating: 5 stars

11/30/2013

Made this for Thanksgiving. It was outstanding and will be a definite side dish for the annual Thanksgiving feast. I love the spices and flavor to it, I found it was the perfect combination of sweet and tart. I had small but juicey oranges so it only took 1.5 oranges. It was also very easy and simple to make. I made it the day before Thanksgiving, and am still using it a couple days after to accompany my left over turkey.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (5)

JennyT

Rating: 5 stars

11/27/2013

I swore by the jellied canned cranberry sauce until this recipe! It is perfectly balanced, sweet & spicy, but not too spicy. Perfect sauce, in my book, and I make it every year a few days ahead of Thanksgiving.

Rating: 5 stars

11/24/2013

I made this in my crock pot for two hours. I didn't use the allspice only the cinnamon. when the cranberiies are tender I used my immersible blender to smooth the cranberries. this is a sauce if you want it more like the canned jelly add use one pkg of unflavored gelatin following directions on the box after sauce is done but use the sauce as the hot water.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (7)

simicook

Rating: 5 stars

11/22/2013

I made it tonight and will serve it tomorrow for our early Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe is very easy and perfect just as is. I had a few tastes as I was stirring it and it was yummy!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (8)

maddaxx

Rating: 5 stars

12/24/2012

The recipe is great as it is. Didn't have cinnamon stick, added 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead and it worked fine. Excellent!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (9)

littlemtngirl

Rating: 5 stars

11/23/2012

I made this yesterday; it was great! I followed the recipe exactly and would not recommend any changes. It is super easy and quick to make. Chill it before serving. Only bit of advice; it doesn't make a lot; make sure to read the number of servings and if you have a large dinner party, double the recipe.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (10)

lollypaul

Rating: 5 stars

11/17/2012

I have made this recipe several times over the past 5 years - it's quick, easy, can be made ahead, and much more flavorful than canned cranberry sauce - no high fructose corn syrup! Made exactly as written. It makes just enough - people like it, but you don't want too much of it left over!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (11)

lynnmarlyn

Rating: 5 stars

11/05/2012

easy, delicious and perfect every time

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (12)

seaside725

Rating: 5 stars

02/02/2012

This is a keeper. It will be my go to recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I did double the amount of brown sugar after reading the reviews. Excellent!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (13)

kaxel1075

Rating: 5 stars

12/16/2011

Made this for our family Thanksgiving dinner this year and it was a bit hit. It was a bit tart though.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (14)

eurocook

Rating: 4 stars

11/26/2011

Agree with the other comments: need to tinker with the sugar; my cranberries were not as ripe as they could have been, and while it tasted okay during prep, I thought it was still a bit too tart at the table.. Also, I popped the berries with the back of spoon as the other reviewer mentioned - for thicker sauce and a smoother presentation.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (15)

Amanda8899

Rating: 5 stars

11/22/2011

I make this every year now. It is so easy and I usually do it the day before when baking pies.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (16)

Laylamama

Rating: 5 stars

11/21/2011

So good and super quick and easy to make! The allspice gives it a real holiday flavor. I just needed to cook it a little longer to get the right consistency.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (17)

les2112

Rating: 5 stars

11/13/2011

I have made this every Thanksgiving for the last three or four years. EVERYONE loves it and it is so incredibly easy to make (and you can make it a day or two ahead of time as well). I highly recommend this recipe as a staple at your Thanksgiving (and Christmas) table.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (18)

rcturner525

Rating: 5 stars

11/28/2010

Have made this for a couple of years now, and it's wonderful. I do think that you need to be willing to tinker with the sugar and honey; sometimes my cranberries seem to be sweeter and need less sugar, but this past time they needed more. Once the sauce has simmered for a while, I use the back of a spoon to pop most of the cranberries so that they will release their pectin and the sauce will congeal a little better. My three year old ate more of this than he did his dessert!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (19)

SEROMEO

Rating: 5 stars

11/25/2010

Ive never even had cranberry sauce before but this is awesome. I made this as a healthy replacement to the canned stuff my husband grew up with (I wont even touch that stuff) and he liked it. You cant go wrong with this one!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (20)

Laurenshana

Rating: 5 stars

11/23/2010

Yummy! Excellent cranberry sauce. Followed exact instructions except used a dash of cinnamon instead. Will be making again!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (21)

radiantstar

Rating: 5 stars

11/01/2010

This is my favorite cranberry sauce recipe. I make it every Thanksgiving! I don't make any adjustments to the recipe. It is so delcious!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (22)

sccook

Rating: 4 stars

12/25/2009

Very good - much better than the canned variety! So easy to make and tastes really fresh. All my Thanksgiving guests loved it. I will definitely make this every Thanksgiving from now on.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (23)

Annelisa

Rating: 5 stars

12/18/2008

This was great! I only used 2 tblsp of brown sugar, because I like it tart.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (24)

jenfur13

Rating: 5 stars

11/29/2008

Everyone raves about this sauce every time I make it. I don't know if its the brown sugar instead of white, or the honey, or the allspice - but it is fantastic and I'm now the go-to person for cranberry sauce every holiday!

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (25)

jujabbo

Rating: 4 stars

11/27/2008

Excellent! I loved these cranberries, and they were easy to make. They were pretty sour though. So, if you want it sweeter, add more sugar. Do a little taste test. Another recipe I found in Cooking Light called for 3x the sugar for the same amount of berries.

Basic Cranberry Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is cranberry sauce made of? ›

The most basic cranberry sauce consists of cranberries boiled in sugar water until the berries pop and the mixture thickens. Some recipes include other ingredients such as slivered almonds, orange juice, orange zest, ginger, maple syrup, port, or cinnamon.

How do you cut the tartness out of cranberry sauce? ›

Add A Splash Of Vinegar

Their sharp tang counteracts bitter flavors without having to add extra sugar. While citrus is a natural pairing for cranberry sauce, bright, savory vinegars like sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar play well with the bitter-tart berries.

Does sugar thicken cranberry sauce? ›

Sugar helps the thickening process, and while it's nice to try to keep your cranberry sauce from being too sugary sweet, you will need at least some sugar to make it work well (about 1/2 cup sugar per 12-ounce bag of cranberries).

How do you firm up cranberry sauce? ›

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

What are the two types of cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

What thickens cranberry sauce? ›

The sauce will thicken as it cools. If you want a cranberry mold that holds its shape, continue to boil the mixture so that more pectin is released from the fruit, additional water evaporates, and the sauce becomes thick enough to set into a firm gel.

Why does my homemade cranberry sauce taste bitter? ›

Dear Evelyn: I had the same problem when I first started making my own cranberry sauce. I found out that you should cook them just until they pop. Further cooking will make them bitter, and once that happens, you need to start again.

How to make cranberry taste better? ›

If you'd prefer, you could use simple syrup, coconut sugar, cane sugar, sugar-free sweetener, maple syrup, or raw honey. You could also omit the added sugar and make an unsweetened cranberry juice if you'd prefer. Fresh Citrus: oranges and lemons add sweet and acid to balance the cranberries tartness.

How to fix cranberry sauce too bitter? ›

"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

You must cook the sauce for at least 10 minutes at a full boil for the pectin to react with the sugar and create the proper gelled texture. It is also important to let the cranberry sauce cool at room temperature. Moving it to the refrigerator too soon may also affect the gel.

What if I put too much water in my cranberry sauce? ›

If you inadvertently added too much water, simply bring the cranberry sauce back to the stove top and bring it to a low boil, cooking it down just a bit to help thicken it up.

How to make cranberry sauce less sour? ›

So if you want to not just add more sugar (but you might have to do that too), can I suggest extending the sauce with apple or pear? These are neutral and should help dilute bitterness plus any sourness.

How to jazz up cranberry sauce? ›

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

Does homemade cranberry sauce thicken when it cools? ›

Reduce heat to a low boil and cook for 10 minutes, until the berries have all burst. Remove from heat. Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

How to fix too sweet cranberry sauce? ›

My cranberry sauce is too sweet now that I taste it. How do I fix it? Add a splash of red wine or apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt to lessen sweetness.

Is cranberry sauce good or bad for you? ›

Health Benefits

Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese. And yes, you reap all these benefits whether the cranberry sauce on your holiday table is homemade or canned, jellied or whole-berry.

Is cranberry sauce just jam? ›

Calling this dish a “sauce” is a bit of a misnomer, as cranberry sauce is actually a simple fruit jam. Cranberries are naturally high in pectin (a naturally occuring gel). When cranberries are cooked with sugar and acid (such as orange or lemon juice), the pectin is released and gels the fruit.

What is jellied cranberry sauce vs regular? ›

The major variation you're likely to come across is "whole berry" versus "jellied." The only difference between them is that the jellied sauce is cooked until the berries have completely broken down. They both slide out of the can as a wobbly red cylinder.

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